


Time After Time

by greenfairy5760



Series: Songs in the Key of Time-Travel [1]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Civil War Team Iron Man, F/F, F/M, Not A Fix-It, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Temporary Character Death, Time Travel, Tony-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-10-31 22:42:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10908957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenfairy5760/pseuds/greenfairy5760
Summary: After Civil War, Tony suffers a tragic event that takes him back to the start of everything with the hope that he won't lose those he can't live without.





	1. If You're Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning is the end is the beginning.

Tony Stark was no stranger to sacrifice. His whole life had been a series of losses, even when he won there was something that marred his almost perfect victory. One step forward always led him two steps back. Everyone around him always blamed it on him. His recklessness, his stubbornness, his inability to work well with others. He knew what people thought of him. He was a spoiled little rich boy who’s never heard the word ‘no’, it was bound to happen. No matter what he’s done to challenge that idea, it always wins. As he watches his wife bleed out, unable to help her, he wonders how it’ll be his fault this time.

Rhodey, God bless him, is still fighting fate. Wrapping his shirt around her midsection, a futile attempt to keep more blood from escaping. The once pristine white shirt quickly turns a bright red.

“Baby girl…… Will……? Can you hear me? Stay with us.”

Tony can’t listen to his best friend try to reason with a dead woman. Can’t watch his friend as the last bit of hope he has shatter completely. All he can do is walk away and wait for him to join him. The end is coming soon and he needs his best friend by his side when it’s all over.

The billionaire quietly fixes two drinks and walks past the small group assembled near the dais. Plopping down with a soft grunt, Tony thinks back to the last time he sat like this. After he came back from Afghanistan and the first official thing he had to do was hold a press conference. Relief begins to flood him when he realizes that he won’t have to get up on a stage and speak about his wife dying barely an hour after they were married. He won’t have to get up, carve his heart out and serve it on a platter for those vultures to pick at.

They did the same thing when his parents died. Sat and debated how he should grieve, when he should grieve, what type of suit he should wear to the funeral. Took his suffering and made it about them. Took his loss and worried about how it would affect them.

Clint called him a futurist, accused him of acting like he was all-knowing. Said he thinks he knows what’s best for people whether they like it or not. Can’t really blame a former-carnie-turned-assassin who never even tried to get a G.E.D for not knowing how being a futurist worked.

All Tony could do is guess. It was most likely to become true because, according to his wife’s best friend, he was wicked smart. But, there were always variables. Little pockets of chaos that could come in and blow it all to hell.

Some were good. His wife, Rhodey, Boston, Bunny….. Even Pep and the Avengers for a short bit.

Then, there were the bad ones. The what-ifs that kept him up at night, that plagued his every decision. That kept him from doing right by those he loved because he was scared that once he let that good stuff in, the bad would follow.

A soft and familiar grip on his shoulder brings him back to the present. Rhodey, as always, is on his right. He hands him his drink, then finally takes a long sip from his glass and feels warmth return to his body. The cold grip on his heart was still there, it would probably never go away.

“Stark……,” the voice that was harsh and barked out accusations and commands not too long ago was now soft and kind.

It would have hurt the little pride he had left after the battle over the Accords, to have that sanctimonious jackass destroy everything he worked so hard for and then try to soothe the hurt he created. To be expected to roll over and say ‘It’s okay. I forgive you’ to a half-assed and self-serving apology. But, things had changed. Tony had changed. Steve Rogers had no sway over him or his emotions, negative or positive, anymore.

“You killed my wife, Rogers. Do you know what that makes me,” Tony asked quietly as he finally looked at the man who tore his life apart. He wanted to see the fear and panic in that bastard’s eyes for once. Even if he wouldn’t exist long enough to see that fear turn into nightmares and paranoia, even if he wouldn’t suffer like Tony had.

Standing up, he looked at the three dead women surrounding him. He felt an overwhelming sense of right and courage that loosened the cold in his heart, knowing that his actions would avenge their death. Her death. It made saying the words easier. It made losing her easier, even if he’d never see her again. Because, even after death, she was still with him. Working with him, protecting the world with him and he knew that he would still love her in this new life.

“A futurist with no future, a dangerous man. _Zekher tzadik v'kadosh livrakha,_ _l'chayei ha'olam ha-ba_ ,” he smiled genuinely as he spoke, closing his eyes as FRIDAY activated Project JESSE and everything went dark.


	2. I Fall Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony opens up to Yinsen about what he has waiting for him and we take a look at Pepper a month after Tony's disappearance.

_“You got a family?”_

_“Yes and I will see them when I leave here. And you, Stark?”_

 

Tony paused and looked away. He had a firm ‘no’ ready. Years of lying to himself and others didn’t seem so important anymore when he had a gun to his head, or heart, that might go off at any second.

“There’s a girl…. And a guy,” he confessed. Yinsen’s look of shock brought a small grin to his face. It felt foreign after almost three months of captivity.

“The guy’s my best friend. Been there for me since I was a scrawny fourteen year old running wild on a college campus. The girl is a little more complicated,” he explained.

Yinsen smiled as he shook his dice. “Most people are complicated when it comes to matters of the heart.”

“Well, this complication is an eleven year age difference and the fact that Park Industries would be known by everyone if I ever admitted it.”

Yinsen let the cup and die fall from his hands as he considered the implications of what was said. Memories of the one time he met Tony Stark before came to mind. He and Ju-zheng Wu were ignored in favor of a pretty brunette by the drunken billionaire. Yet, the next day they were approached by the father-daughter duo that was the face of Park Industries. If Tony Stark had the ear or heart of Nami Park, it would explain quite a bit about what seemed like a random meeting. “Does Miss Park return these feelings?”

Tony scrubbed at his face with his hands. “Yeah. Despite my best efforts, she’s in it for the long haul,” he confirmed.

Yinsen thought of the rumors and whispered details of the man who lead Park Industries and his daughter. Now, with the knowledge that Tony Stark was important to them, a chill ran down his spine at the thought of what would be coming their way eventually. “Then, we must work quickly. You are a man who has everything and I fear that your young lady won’t wait much longer for you to return to her on your own.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Hello, Colonel.”

Pepper Potts had seen many things in her life during her time as Tony Starks personal assistant, but this had to take the cake. When Rhodey first came back after the initial search for Tony, he said nothing in response to her greeting. He passed by her without a word and headed straight for Tony’s workshop.

Obviously, not finding Tony had him upset and she gave him an hour to himself before joining him downstairs. Or rather, attempting to join him. For the first time since she was allowed to visit Tony in his workshop, the door was locked and her access code wasn’t working.

“Apologies, Ms. Potts. Only Colonel Rhodes and two others are allowed in certain areas of Sir’s house when he’s not here. Unfortunately, you are not one of them,” the AI informed her.

Pepper walked away with a frustrated huff. She understood that Tony had sensitive projects for Stark Industries and the military that were far above her paygrade and came with a mountain of non-disclosure agreements. Yet, it still bothered her that she was not considered important enough to be notified about what was going on.

Everyone assumed that she was part of Tony Stark’s inner circle. That she was learning business at the right hand of the man who was a literal genius and very business savvy. The truth was something she hated to admit, she was really just a personal assistant. She made, cancelled and rescheduled appointments for him. She did not know his social security number. She only had access to one business account that was set up for her to make purchases in his name and even that needed Tony’s permission for purchases over a thousand US dollars. Sure, he trusted her enough to sign off on any artwork or charity she suggested and the occasional high priced outfit/pair of shoes for her birthday or Christmas, but she didn’t have the freedom she was assumed to have.

She was nothing more than a professional beard. A straight-laced excuse to leave early, put off an appointment or not go at all. A prop that was used to convince people that it was all her and Tony Stark was just an drunken, irresponsible playboy. Anything she did learn, she had to fight for. She appreciated not being spoon fed lessons but it was clear that if she stayed at Stark Industries, she would be nothing more than what she is now.

A quiet part of her mind asked, “And what’s wrong with that?”. Most people would kill for that kind of job security, but Pepper wanted more. She didn’t want to be the minion or lackey, she wanted to be the one with minions and lackeys. She wanted to command respect, not use someone else’s. During the drive home from Tony’s mansion, she thought about the headhunter who called her minutes after Tony’s disappearance was confirmed in the news. Pepper wouldn’t leave until Tony was found, she owed him that much. Then, she would start planning for her future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the differences start to show! I'm mostly going to gloss over Iron Man and just focus on what changed. still looking for a beta, hit me up at greenfairy5760@hotmail.com.


	3. Go Slow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's press conference is cut short by an important house-guest.

“Next time you ride with me, okay?”

 

It was stupid, but Tony actually expected her to be right behind Rhodey. He knew it was stupid and there was no way that she could be there, but he wanted her to be. Fuck, the heat made him sentimental.

The whole ride back, all he could think about was her. Everything else was a blur. Medical poking at him, getting truly clean for the first time in months, getting on the plane home. Things began to grow sharper and clearer as he approached Pepper.

It almost felt like things were normal again. Yet, for some reason Pepper’s habit of chiding him and talking over him felt grating. What he needed, what he longed for, was quiet understanding and someone who trusted him enough to fall in line.

“We’re calling a press conference because I said so. I am still your boss for now, right,” Tony asked in a terse tone.

JARVIS hadn’t been limited to the house for about a year and the first thing Tony asked for after multiple debriefings was a laptop. While catching up on current events, he also was made aware of Ms. Potts’ discreet requests for job interviews in the last five hours.

Tony got it, he really did. It was a rough three months for everyone. Rougher for him, but those around him were still affected. He just didn’t have time to coddle someone who had one foot out the door before things got really rough. And they would get rough if things went according to plan.

So, he ignored Pepper’s hurt looks and Happy’s stoic face and chose to check his phone. He was rewarded with a lovely text. Tony took a moment to appreciate the picture ANA had to have taken and sent him. Not much could be seen except for a mass of red hair spilling out from under a mountain of blankets. What made it so much better was the fact that there was a telescope in the corner instead of an antique writing desk with a laptop on it. She was here.

_**“Don’t talk about it with anyone. Come home.”** _

Any happiness he felt from the image above the message faded away. ANA was originally a warm counterpart to JARVIS cool temperament. After almost a decade of threats towards her ‘boss’, physical and financial, that warmth has been limited to the few she could trust. Luckily, as her creator and someone in the Parks’ inner circle, he was trusted and it was usually him giving the orders. Something was rotten and ANA was in bloodhound mode.

Not willing to risk anything before he could get all the information, he left immediately after the press conference. Obie and Rhodey wanted to get some time with him, but luckily he was able to get away by saying he was exhausted.

After entering the house, Tony felt like he could finally breathe easy for once.

“JARVIS, blackout mode for the whole house. No codes except for dear ol’ Papa Park,” he instructed as he made his way upstairs.

JARVIS quickly followed orders and the windows darkened. “Of course, sir. It is good to have you back,” he greeted.

“Good to be back. Now, mute until morning. Enjoy talking with the missus while I get some rest.”

April in California was hot enough for air conditioning, but Tony opened his room and was hit with a wave of cold air. JARVIS silently displayed the temperature at sixty degrees.

Tony looked at the pile of blankets and bedding on his bed, trying to find a hint of the woman under them. He sat on the edge of his bed and shrugged off his jacket before slowly removing his arm sling.

“JARV, human level a/c, please,” he asked while removing the rest of his clothes.

The sentient butler acknowledged the request and the temperature display on the blacked out windows rose accordingly.

Slipping under the pile of blankets, he reached for Nami. Feeling her in his arms, in his house, no excuses, no fake business trips, was worth the pain in his right arm. The billionaire placed his face in the crook of her neck and breathed deeply. The familiar smell of lavender and chamomile washed over him.

He knew the whys when it came to his decision to stay away from her. That sick realization that swept over him when he realized that when he was jerking off, the woman in his fantasies was slowly turning into a seventeen year old girl.

Therapy was out of the question. Being the CEO of Stark Industries for seven years, in addition to being Howard Stark’s son, made him a household name. If word ever got out, it would ruin his company and hundreds of thousands of people would lose their jobs.

Instead, he flew to Busan and knelt at Johann Park’s feet. It was one of the few times he cried since his parents died and the only time someone had been there to witness it. Yet, confessing his sin felt good. He trusted Johann in a way that he hadn’t trusted anyone since Jarvis died. He could trust him to do the right thing by him and by Nami, even if it meant his ruin.

Thinking about the advice the man gave him before sparing his life and his business, he tightened his grip.

“Fuck!” “Ow!”

The pair cried out simultaneously.

Tony rolled away to massage his right arm. Turning back to see why she cried out, he noticed Nami gingerly rubbing a surgical bandage behind her ear.

“Goddamn it, Tony,” the redhead cursed, her light accent becoming more obvious. Her mouth opened to say more before she took stock of the situation.

Tony knew he was going to hate this part and he was right. Nami’s mouth shut with an audible click. Her eyes seemed impossibly larger and he could see the tears beginning to well up. Also, now that he could really see her face, she seemed to be almost deathly pale and she was way too thin.

“When did you last eat,” the billionaire asked softly.

Nami raised a shaky hand to push back her hair that was all over the place. Her eyes didn’t leave Tony, but she didn’t respond to him either.

Tony scoffed and got up. Heading to the dresser, he dug out a slim rectangular case and threw it on the bed with his left hand. Nami’s eyes finally stopped following him and focused on the shiny black case before picking it up.

Tony opened the door to the hallway and waited for her to look at him. “You want what’s in there, all that comes with it, you come downstairs and we’ll eat. You want to waste away, put it back. I have no use for a stupid wife,” the genius ordered roughly.

As he walked to the kitchen, Tony started to regret his words. He always did this, let his guilt or sadness turn into anger and push people away. He did it with Aunt Peggy once he found out why Ana and Ed couldn’t have kids and he was doing it again to the one person he could see being with forever.

Taking his time, Tony put all of his effort into making the best meal he could for her. An apology omelet seemed the best bet. Maybe he could get Happy to pick up those McDonald's hash browns she loves. Lost in his thoughts, he’s surprised by the cool arms hugging him from behind.

“I want bacon too,” Nami murmured, her lips brushing against his back.

Tony took the pan off the stove and turned around. He looked down at the younger woman and she seemed a bit more put together than she did upstairs. The tears were gone and while she was still pale, it must have been shock that made the color in her cheeks disappear. Her hair, an even more vibrant red than usual, was pulled back into a neat ponytail. Tony wondered when she had stopped dying her hair auburn-brown.

“That was very….. Howard-esque of you,” Nami offered as an ice breaker.

“I….,” Tony stopped short as Nami raised her hand to cover his mouth.

“Let me say this. I need to get it out,” she asked.

Noticing the ring on her left ring finger, he decided to not push his luck and nodded.

Nami released him and sat at the kitchen island. She waited for him to stand on the other side, opposite her, before she started. She took a breath before starting, as she usually did before speaking a language that wasn’t Korean.

“When you went missing, we had no way of finding you. Because you were so careful to maintain only casual ties with my father in public, we were unable to be a part of the search effort in any way. We resorted to alternate means. There are always members of the military who can be persuaded to inform us if you were found or would take information provided by our employees,” she explained.

Tony nodded in agreement, but his mind raced at the idea of military officials being open to bribery. Park Industries could be trusted but what if it was that asshole Hammer or Klaue, who seemed to have come from Satan’s sack.

Nami continued, “While Papa focused on your rescue, I focused on its prevention.”

Taking a moment, she stood up and turned sideways. Peeling off her bandage, she gestured to the space behind her ear. Coming closer, Tony noticed an angry red incision scar behind her ear. Slightly raised and an angry looking red, it was thin but long, about the same length as her ear.

Turning back to Tony, Nami sat down again.

“We could have found you within hours if you hadn’t lost contact with JARVIS. You had him on your phone, you lost it in the attack. With this implant, I have an earpiece that ANA can reach me on no matter what. When you have yours put in, it will be the same for you and JARVIS,” Nami finished with a grin.

“If I have mine put in,” Tony countered.

Nami’s smile dimmed. “If,” she conceded.

Tony reached over the island and took her left hand in his. He knew most people would run far away from someone like Nami Park. She had a tendency to hide a big heart, her softness and all of her sweet nature behind a cold, precise exterior. They would see this conversation and be appalled at the fact that she wasn’t exactly offering him a choice in getting the implant. Forcing surgery on a man who had his chest cracked open in a cave in Afghanistan. Even if she was saying ‘if’, it was an ‘eventually’. He had no doubt that his ‘no’ would result in him waking up in one of the many hospitals Park Industries invested in with a cochlear implant of his own.

But, unlike his surgery at the hands of Yinsen, it wouldn’t bother him in the least. He knew that it came from the fear of losing him. Tony also knew that their love wasn’t one that was expressed in the healthiest of ways. Their history is littered with the unlucky people who have tried to have more than a one night stand or mild flirtation with either one of them.

Sunset Bain was the first to suffer Nami’s wrath. Even before she was old enough to feel romantic love for Tony, she still felt anger on his behalf. One ten minute conversation with her Papa had him tear Baintronics down before it could even try to use the plans Sunset stole. Sunset’s frequent attempts to seduce Tony for personal and financial gain insured that Nami would keep the company from flourishing past a certain point.

Justin Hammer saw Nami, who was single as far as the public knew, and constantly tried to romance her in hopes of a merger between the two companies. Which led to Tony cashing in any favor he had to stifle Hammer socially since his products weren’t good enough to even waste time sabotaging.

And it would go on like this for almost a decade. Part of why he kept Pepper at a distance was because he genuinely liked her. He could see something happening with her, there was an attraction and she was age-appropriate. Yet, he knew she wouldn’t last long in a relationship with him and a fling wasn’t worth losing a damn good personal assistant. Also, she couldn’t handle Nami at her best and if he slept with her, she would get Nami at her absolute worst.

He felt terrible for what he did to Nami for all these years. Practically driving her crazy with his push-and-pull antics.

The month before her eighteenth birthday was the first time that Tony Stark kept his dick in his pants. No models, no devastatingly beautiful scientists, not one woman or man. He flew to Seoul, took her out to a discreet restaurant and rang in her birthday by taking her virginity. The week after was spent in a bubble, a world that was just them and the occasional room service. Then, he took off and went back to being Tony Stark, the playboy.

Every year for a decade, he did this. Four weeks of celibacy followed by a week with her. His strange behavior was excused by the fact that it was right before the anniversary of his parents dying. By New Years’ Eve, he was back to his old ways. Yet, she never dated, never slept with anyone else, never allowed someone to entertain the thought that she wanted them.

It seemed crazy, but he owed her this and he would be asking the same if it were her that disappeared for three months in a terrorist cell. He was woken up to more than just his weapons being used to harm. He also wasted his time thinking that he had all the time in the world. Tony wanted more than a week. He wanted to have that feeling of waking up with the woman he loves every day for the rest of his life.

Fiddling with the ring on her finger, he decided to open up and put all of his cards out there. Hopefully, she wouldn’t think he’s crazy. Tony coughed nervously.

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had this feeling. It was like this quiet voice that even I couldn’t hear but I knew what it was saying. It hasn’t steered me wrong once. It kept me safe from Howard, It led me to meeting Johann and it led me to you,” Tony rambled.

“But I fucked up. I fucked up big time because that quiet voice became loud one day and it told me to grab you tight, hold on and never let go of you. But I let go. I pushed you away, because as much as that voice yelled and screamed, my dreams became nightmares. I see you…..,” Tony choked on his words as the nightmares that haunted him before Afghanistan came to mind.

Nami tried to get up to go around the kitchen island and comfort him, but Tony wouldn’t let go of her hand.

“I see you in a wedding dress. You look so beautiful and we’re surrounded by family. I can’t remember what happens, but you always end up hurt and broken and bloody. And I’m stuck there, unable to move, unable to help you,” Tony felt tears fall down his cheeks as he spoke.

Nami gave up on trying to get her hand free and settled for climbing on top of the island. Scooting closer to Tony, she sat in front of him.

“Aniyo, not gonna happen. You know why? Because you have this……,” she points at his head.

She moves her hand to rest against the miniature arc reactor in his chest, “And this.”

Making sure Tony is looking her in the eyes, she lets the magic inside of her flood her body, turning her eyes pitch black. “And I’ve got this. So, let’s get married and fuck up anyone who tries to ruin our happiness.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay. so, i feel great but shitty about this chapter at the same time. great, because i feel like i laid the bare bones of Willow and Tony's dynamic out there so i can flesh it out and make it more than morally-gray billionaires who are co-dependent and unhealthy af. shitty, because i really need a beta to help polish this so it's not a turd. this was way longer than my previous chapters but that's going to happen now that i'm not just subtly tweaking events and we're going into full out canon-divergence. 
> 
> i paired Tony and Willow up because i just dig their similarities. talented geniuses with parents who have trouble connecting with them. Howard was an ass and Sheila and Ira just seemed almost criminally negligent. Pepper and Tara couldn't handle the darker aspects of their personality and life or the constant danger. the need to be better, be the best, show their usefulness. i'm really eager to see what those two can do when paired up and i hope you are too! :)


	4. I Can't Hear What You've Said

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When one friendship starts to unravel, a new one forms.

Miss Korea is in the car.

  
Happy Hogan knows more than he lets on. Part of why he’s outlasted every personal assistant is due to his ability to keep his eyes open and his mouth shut. So, when his boss suddenly decides to take off and do all of his work out of South Korea for all of November every year, he takes notice.

  
Happy knew a girl was involved. He saw his boss turn down women right before his trip and after. Also, the fact that Pepper Potts’ longing glances for more than business opportunities was barely noticed. There were bets between every department head on whether or not she would be the one to put a stop to Tony Stark’s playboy days. They had finally come to a stop, but not because of Ms. Potts.

  
When Colonel Rhodes came back with news of Tony Stark’s disappearance, it was a matter of time before Boss’ mystery woman popped up. Yet, he never expected her to pop up like this.

  
He didn’t know what he thought she would look like. Boss tended to go for extremely beautiful women with long legs and if they were white, they had tanned skin. Happy assumed that she would at least be Korean.

To his surprise, Miss Korea was white, petite and pale. While she was beautiful, she wasn’t the usual Maxim cover girl. Dressed in skinny jeans, a white tank top with a plaid shirt over it and motorcycle boots, she was the exact opposite of Pepper Potts. Adding to their many physical differences was her way of sitting, slumped down with her attention on her phone as Boss leaned in and whispered in her ear. 

When Happy pulled up to the hanger, the couple slowly pulled away from each other. Boss leaned forward and laid a hand on his shoulder. 

“Turn the a/c up and watch over the missus, she had a hard morning of dealing with fixing me up. Got it, Hap,” he instructed. 

Happy nodded while turning up the air conditioning, “Will do, sir.”

Boss shot him a smile and left the car to meet up with Colonel Rhodes. 

The quiet of the car was soon broken almost ten minutes later by Boss quickly reentering the car and slamming the door roughly. 

“Drop me off at home and take her out to do some shopping.” 

“Tony,” Miss Korea finally spoke and Happy was surprised by how her voice seemed to instantly soften Boss up. Yet, whatever she was about to say was instantly cut off when Boss gripped her knee tightly. 

Happy felt conflicted. He knew Tony Stark and he would never be the type of man to hurt anyone unless he was defending himself and others. But, he saw how time overseas had changed some men and women. He’d have to keep an eye out and see if he’d need to speak up. 

Miss Korea placed her hand over Boss’ and turned to Happy. “Drop him off, then take me to Koreatown.”

The drive to the mansion is dead silent compared to the quiet whispers from before.

Happy knows he shouldn’t play favorites, but Boss is Boss. He comes first and Stane, Ms. Potts and Colonel Rhodes always get him like this. The only time he seemed able to breathe freely was when he was in the gym or right around his month long ‘vacation’.

  
Boss left them with a nod for Happy and a soft kiss for his girlfriend. “Ana protocol,” the CEO called out as he exited the car. 

For nearly an hour and a half, Happy drove. He followed Ana protocol and shadowed Miss Korea around Koreatown while she shopped for groceries. 

Watching her as she shopped, Happy found her to be sweet and kind to the cashiers. Not paying any attention to the looks of surprise she received for speaking fluent Korean, she spoke in the same gentle tones she used with Boss. 

After helping put the groceries in the trunk, Miss Korea turned to Happy. 

“You’re not too surprised by me,” she pointed out. 

“Boss man takes a yearly trip to South Korea for a month, comes back happier and stops sleeping around? Has to be a girl….. Uh, woman,” Happy explained, his cheeks heating up from embarrassment at his slip. 

Miss Korea tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Maxim models?”

“Dates, but no one came home with him. The papers just went with it.”

Miss Korea’s lips quirked up slowly at the edges, “I make him happier?”

Happy’s nod made her break out into a full smile. In that moment, with the dusky glow of the sun and the neon glow of Koreatown, he could see why the CEO of Stark Industries would be so taken with her. 

“Nami Park,” she introduced herself and held out her hand. 

“Harold Hogan,” he replied,. He ignored her right hand, the one she held out. Instead, Happy reached for her left hand, acknowledging the ring and what it meant. 

“We’re going to be great friends, Harold. Even if you get mad because of all the purple things I’ll send you for your birthday and Christmas. Just don’t break the crayons.” 

Later on, after watching Ms. Park hum Happy Birthday to You while serving Boss a large slice of chocolate cake, Happy knew she was right.


	5. The Second Hand Unwinds

Nami was worried. It had been two weeks since Tony’s birthday and his last conversation with Colonel Rhodes. Tony was obviously pissed off but he was putting all of that energy into Mark II. The only downside was that it left no room for going out, something Nami definitely wanted to do with her fiancé. So, she met him halfway and tended to camp out on the couch in the workshop, watching Korean dramas while working with ANA. 

“Palladium is toxic. Tests on rats suggests that it’s carcinogenic. We need to work on that,” she suggested. 

Nami didn’t know why she needed to research the miniaturized arc reactor. She had a nightmare last night of Tony dying alone with black veins, his body falling down endlessly in an inky black darkness. 

Tony pushed back from his computer and ran his hands through his hair. “No other metal works. What’s other option is there,” he countered. 

Nami put down her laptop and faced him. “I could always break down the Scythe,” Nami offered. 

Tony shook his head roughly and began to pace around the large area, Nami following behind him. 

“Seriously! It works like a magical battery and it can help power the arc…..,” she halted her words as he turned to face her. 

“That is your legacy, the only thing you had with you when you were found. I can’t ask you to take that and destroy it just for me.” 

Nami grabbed Tony’s hands and dragged him to the couch. “You’re not asking, I’m giving it to you. You, the person I love most. The only person I have ever been with or want to be with. I’m yours and you’re mine. So, if turning the Scythe into something different saves you, I’m fine with that being my legacy.” 

“Babe, it’s not just your legacy. I know this stuff is real. I know magic is real. I might joke and give you and your father grief about it, but I’ve seen what you can do. You can work miracles. People would have called you a god, people would probably would call you a god today. But I cannot, I will not, encourage you to destroy the only link to your past,” Tony explained, his voice nearly cracking from emotion and exhaustion. 

Nami slumped down in defeat at the finality in his words. Tony drew her close, preparing himself mentally. 

“I’ll bond with you. Now, before the wedding,” he conceded. 

Nami pushed back, searching his face for any hesitance. “Don’t do it for me. Do it because you want to,” she begged.

Tony nodded, “I do. I just wanted to give you time. Time to live your life, find out if this is what you wanted.”

Nami thought back over the years. From Tony first finding magic existed because a crying toddler wanted her binkie to actively asking to see her practice her craft, he never once shied away from the traditions of her people. He knew that bonding was something every survivor of the Scourge looked forward to, a blessing from the Two-Faced God. 

Glorificus and her mate came to this universe, opposites who shared the same body. A powerful immortal being who was indestructible and her vulnerable human male counterpart. Nami’s father descended from them after a goddess from the sky possessing wisdom and foresight blessed them with separate bodies. Tony learned of this at her father’s knee, same as her. He heard the stories, knew the tales. Yet, he was still willing to risk eventually leaving everything and everyone he knew behind, for her. 

Nami agreed, “Okay, but it’s just a precaution. We, mostly you, will find a fix for this. And if it gets real bad, we use the Scythe. Anything short of the Seed.”

“…….Right, of course. So, how do we do this,” Tony asked. 

Nami grimaced before answering, “Blood, because I’m different.”

Tony rubbed her back, knowing that being adopted into a family that was also not human helped Nami but it still bothered her to be different. It pushed her to be the best and present herself as flawless. 

Nami continued to explain, “I drink your blood while you list what you want to share with me, I do the same, and then it starts to naturally develop after that.” 

Tony chuckled, “Can’t imagine what I have to give you.”

“Uhhhhh…….. Your intelligence, your charm, your good looks,” Nami ticked each quality off on her fingers. 

“You’re smart and charming and you’re gorgeous,” he protested. 

Taking a second to appreciate the look of total confusion on the billionaire’s face, the redhead was glad that her fiancé truly believed that about her. 

“Not as smart as you when it comes to engineering, but my programming is better. We’re neck and neck for infiltrating. I’m charming but I can’t do it while drunk. And I have thirteen Maxim models who will school you on the last point,” she countered. 

“That is going to haunt me forever, isn’t it?”

“’Til death do you part.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Nami was surprised by how serious Tony was about this. Finding herself sitting next to him while he held a straight edge razor and a strange black crystal. 

She shut her eyes at the pain as he made a small cut on her shoulder. Feeling his mouth cover the incision, she made her vow. 

“I, Nami, child of the Eternals and the young gods, share with you my strength, my durability and my resilience.” 

Nami knew her nature was darker that most of her people, but the feeling of Tony drinking her blood was intense. His mouth on her skin, the taboo nature of what they were doing. No Eternal ever bonded with a human, even if they had a child. It reminded her of the year before Tony came to her. When she spent her nights running wild with Deviants, keeping secrets from Tony and her father. 

When Tony tried to pass her the razor, Nami pushed his hand away, “No, I want to do it my way.”

Placing her mouth against his neck, Nami could taste the salt on his skin as he canines elongated. It felt so easy and right to bite down on the flesh, a rush of blood filling her mouth with a metallic tang. 

“I, Tony, from the house of Stark, share with you our past, our present and our future…….”

Anything else Tony said was lost in a flood of emotions and memories beating down on her. 

 

_“I’m not interested in SHIELD 2.0.”_

_“Great, because I’m not SHIELD.”_

_“So, she broke your heart?”_

_“She did more than that.”_

_“Wow, so Hawkass has been screwing over his family for longer than I thought.”_

_“Where’s your girlfriend?”_

_“Not my girlfriend or my CEO anymore.”_

_“Don’t forgive or forget.”_

_“Wasn’t planning on it. Was planning on marrying you, but that’s it.”_

_“Hey, Stank. That was a shitty proposal.”_

_“Suck it, honey bear. She said yes.”_

_“I’ll gut you if you don’t treat her right.”_

_“Love you too, Boston.”_

_“Thanos is coming.”_

_“You planning on helping, Reindeer Games?_

_“Bun-Bun, tell me how that amulet works.”_

_“Crap, let’s move the wedding up. Can’t die without getting hitched first.”_

_“Loki’s walking you down the aisle?”_

_“Boss, my system’s been compromised.”_

_“What are you playing at Stark?”_

_“Saving the world, Rogers. Just wanted to get the girl first before I do that.”_

_“You can’t trust a Stark!”_

_“He’s a murderer.”_

_“Tony, I’m sorry.”_

_“I don’t care she was my mom.”_

_“I don’t care she was my wife!”_

 

“TONY!”

“Willow.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! First off, thank you for reading this story. I'm so nervous about this. This is my first post on AO3. I definitely need a beta and someone to bounce my crazy ideas off of. So if you're up for it, message me or hit me up in the comments section. 
> 
> I'm also open for constructive criticism about improving my writing. I am Team Tony for life and I would fight Rhodey for the position of leader of the Tony Stark Defense Squad if it was possible. So, please keep that in mind if you try to argue about CACW or the Accords. I'm down for discussing the fandom in e-mails or on Skype but I don't want my story to have 128 comments that are mostly people fighting. 
> 
> Lastly, there are relationships and pairings in this but I want to wait until they develop to list them and not ruin the surprise. You'll notice that the whole story has a Memento feel to it so just enjoy the ride. But, to be clear, there is no Stony/WinterIron/Stucky/Stuckony in a romantic sense. Also, if there is a non-endgame relationship it'll be listed lower than the more permanent ones.


End file.
